Just A Little Snow
by Appointment
Summary: It's a cold day in December, and James is hot for Lily. Horrid summary, written for the Potter Project Competition. The Marauders in their seventh year.


**A/N: Written for the Potter Project Competition. I absolutely cannot write Marauders, so don't judge me too harshly! :3 I really do enjoy their friendship though, and Lily/James is just wonderful, too. I had an issue with writing Peter, so sorry if he's a bit.. bad. Anyways, please do leave a review if you read/favorite this! Please, please! **

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><p><em>just a little snow<em>

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><p>It was a cool Saturday in mid-December. Snow zipped through the air, coating every last inch of the world. Wind howled, blustering, and cold air set everyone on the grounds of Hogwarts in a grin – Christmas was coming up, and everybody enjoyed holidays.<p>

In short, everybody was feeling jovial, a familiar group of boys no exception. One quite thin with mousy brown hair, a black scarf around his neck, another with round glasses and messy hair. Two more, short and stout, and the other, quite good-looking, above average height.

They stood at the top of a large, rather daunting hill, just before the groundskeeper's hut and the forest. Three of the four boys were attempting to convince the other to hurry and find his way down. For what reason?

Two attractive, chatty girls stood at the bottom of the hill just before the rundown hut – a particular redhead standing among them.

"So, Prongs, are you going to do it?" asked Remus, bundled up, arms folded. "Or are you going to stand here until you turn into a date for that snowman over there?"

He motioned to the figure that several shorter students were building.

Even while covered by a scarf and hat, they could clearly see that James was a bright shade of red, though all could be sure no such colour was associated with the cold weather.

Sirius would have burst out into laughter at the picture before him, had he not been entirely certain that said action would earn him a ball of ice to the jaw.

"You know, actually, she looks a bit busy." said James, turning away from a redheaded girl who was deep in conversation with a fellow seventh year.

"You're nervous, James!" said Peter.

"Leave it, Wormtail. I am _not_!"

"Oh, suck it up, you baby." countered Sirius, "You've asked her out loads of times before, and now, all of a sudden, you're acting a ninny."

"Well, I don't want to _bother_ her –"

"You bloody _love_ the girl! You can't bother her anymore than you already do!"

"I'd say the worst she could do would be to give you a firm kick to the bollocks." said Remus, smugly contributing to the debate.

"How _reassuring_, Moony."

"Prongs, if you don't get down there right now, I'm going to bury you in this snow."

"Bring it, Padfoot! I dare you."

Sirius laughed boisterously. "You're going to walk back to the castle in soaking wet britches? I don't think so, James."

"Guys, let's be serious here!" said James, looking at his friends.

"I already _am_ Sirius."

James furrowed his brows and shoved Sirius aside, who promptly fell into the snow. Remus and Peter laughed.

"I'd rather _it_ was different this time, you know?" he said, looking down at his friend.

"Yeah, yeah," said Sirius, "Then at least help me up."

James was slightly reluctant to take his hand, since Sirius surrendering so hurriedly usually suggested imminent mischievousness. Nevertheless, he stepped forward, grasping his hand, beginning to pull him up, when he suddenly felt his feet slide on the ice below. Sirius gave James' arm a sharp yank, sending him sprawling headlong and onto the slope of the hill. On his back, he slid quite quickly and over a large lump of snow, sending them both down the hill.

Much to his dismay, there was snow flying into James' face, and he could barely hear anything with the wind rushing by them both, so he blindly stuck out his right foot, hoping it would slow them down a tad. Unfortunately, it had the complete opposite effect, causing both James and Sirius – who was still grappling onto James' arm – to vault rather stiffly and painfully, right off the hill.

James came to realize, with much personal humiliation, that when he had finally come to a stop, he had in fact done so by hitting Lily Evans – and _only_ Lily Evans, considering her friend had cleared out just before he'd collided with her, too. She sat up, pushing him off her and brushing snow off herself.

"I'm sorry!" he said quite quickly.

There was a brief – extremely brief – moment when he thought she was going to scream at him. Although, that was before Sirius came hurtling down the rest of the hill, straight into the both of them, driving his knee into James' stomach and smacking his forehead into Lily's own, his arms splayed out wildly as if he were attempting to fly.

Groaning, he sat up, moving out of the way and rubbing his arm, which seemed to be sore. James sat up as well, his vision blurry and glasses askew. When he straightened up enough to see, Lily was still sitting, brushing off snow once more, a free hand rubbing her forehead.

Remus and Peter were already at the bottom of the hill when they all regained composure – well, as much as possible.

"Bloody hell, you two." said Remus.

"Are you okay?" asked Peter, his voice a tad squeaky.

It was silent for a few moments, before Sirius broke out in laughter, soon followed by James and Lily herself. It took James a moment to realize that Lily should be annoyed with him, although her laughter spoke otherwise.

"Sorry Evans, Prongs," said Sirius, "All an accident. I'm a klutz, I am."

James looked at Sirius, piecing it all together. He clapped James hard on the back, passing him a sly wink.

Sirius and James stood up, the latter offering Lily a hand.

James felt a random shove of confidence, and proceeded to dust snow off her shoulders.

"Say, Evans, why don't you accompany me to Madam Puddifoot's tomorrow?"

"Well, I'd say you owe me after this little show, Potter." replied Lily, smiling.

Once again, James' cheeks turned a little redder, nothing of which was attributed to the little bit of snow that had been frozen to his face.


End file.
